


Somethings Never Change (And Also Biker Gangs)

by AliasUser



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cars, Epic Friendship, Gen, Mechanics, Motorcycles, Street Racing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-19 00:16:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3589170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliasUser/pseuds/AliasUser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve has always had little talents, drawing, mechanics, cooking. In the future there's not much he can do with himself, so he picks up one of these talents again, covertly of course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm really new to this site, so I am going to apologize in advance if there's any weird formatting etc. going on. Because I really, really don't know what I'm doing...

**Steve**

Steve has always been good with his hands. He supposes it is a blessing for him considering for most of his life (excluding frozen bits) he was a tiny asthmatic shrimp. It started with drawing, if he could get his hands on a pencil and a bit of paper he would make worlds rise up. He would draw people too, from memory, his mother before she died, Bucky when he left. As he became older, and his mother health plummeted, she discovered his talent for cooking. He could take very few ingredients and make them delicious. His team had called him a miracle worker when they had tasted his food, later in the war, Steve wasn't sure if it was because of his food or the fact they really hadn't had much other than army rations for a long long time. His mother had enjoyed his food too. And he never really lost those skills, they were just pushed to the side really. He still drew occasionally when he wasn't out fighting baddies and Red Skull, it was just the fact he was so busy during the war. But when they are sitting at a base waiting before being deployed to their next mission when Steve gets the itch in his hands. There's nothing to cook really and there's no paper that isn't being used, so Steve turns mechanic. He picks it up quickly, and soon is modifying his own little black bike for missions. (the team takes the motorcycle on joy rides in-between missions, it gave him a heart attack for about half a minute but it makes him glow to see that they like something that he's done, rather than what Captain America has done. They tell him later that it rides like a dream, and how on earth did he get it to go so fast? He glows at the first compliment and feels slightly worried about the second.) He couldn't tell if he actually made a difference but his team insists he did.

Then the plane crashed, and his whole world shattered.

It's been 70 years since he last saw anyone. His future, their future, this generations present, and he has too much time. Too much time to think, to reflect, on what could have been. He needs something to do, and after the he was defrosted, SHIELD has apparently forgotten about him, at least for now. He tries to take up drawing again, but stops when he learns that they have psychologists take and analyze each drawing. The drawings scare him anyways, so much death leaks from his fingers, on to the page. He goes back to hitting things, being swallowed whole by his memories.

Then there is the Chitauri invasion, and he feels so alive, so useful and needed, even if Tony Stark and the others hate him. And then too soon (which he knows is a horrible thing to think, but he hasn't felt useful for so long) its over, they all kind of separate then mush back together, in a sort of awkward family/friends/teammates/group(no ones really sure what they are exactly), at Stark/Avengers tower, and now there has been very little (for him at least) to do. But it seems he still can draw, yet the past is the only thing that shows up on the paper, and the pencil burns his fingers. He doesn't draw for awhile after that, the past is too painful already. He tries to cook again but after struggling to understand how the kitchen works and being mocked for it, he quits. It's not worth the mocking. He'd do mechanics again, but everything Tony owns is so far ahead of his time, so far ahead of today, or is so specialized, he'd probably never understand it. (Because, as good as Steve is at mechanics, things like the Ironman suit are so advanced that he will probably never understand it. And let's not even start on other technology like JARVIS and other electronics that litter the tower)

He's wandering around the tower, caught between exploring and trying not to get in the way so that they don't send him away, back to nothingness, when he finds Tony's workshop and wanders in. (It's only later that he learns how off-limits Tony's shop normally is and wonders just how much did JARVIS know and help him with.) He ignores most of the futuristic technology on one half of the shop and focuses on the cars. Cars, he knows how to work with cars. Still he doesn't want to touch with out permission, but Tony would probably say no before he even opened his mouth, so who to ask?

"JARVIS?" Steve starts hesitantly, still feeling awkward that he's talking to a building "Can I work on Tony's cars? I promise I won't break anything."

"Of course Captain," JARVIS responds.

Steve lets loose a breath he didn't even know he was holding, "Thanks JARVIS."

He gently opens the hood of the nearest car, signing almost imperceptibly, its almost exactly the same as he remembers it. The next hour is spent with him reacquainting himself with the parts of a car, after working with a motorcycle for so long, JARVIS occasionally pulling up a touch screen with simple instructions on the parts he has questions about. By the end of it, Steve is covered in grease but also in a much happier mood. He has found himself a purpose. He turns to leave the shop, he doesn't want Tony to find him here, he doesn't want to hear more reminders of the life that he missed because of the ice, more jeers about what stole away his future. As he is leaving he asks JARVIS,

"Will you not tell Tony unless he asks directly?" JARVIS seems to hum as if thinking about it "I just don't want him to have more ammunition against me," he continues quietly.

"Of course Captain Rogers, I believe that can be accomplished."

"Thanks, JARVIS," Steve says before slipping out of the workshop. He manages to get to his floor right before Tony goes down to the shop.

Steve tries to go to the shop every chance he gets, slowly fine tuning each one of the cars Tony has in there. When he finishes tuning he goes and starts making improvements, little tricks that he has learned from experience. JARVIS's concerns about having Steve in the shop are gone now. Steve doesn't touch anything he doesn't know how to fix and always asks for permission to use things. It's obviously doing him a lot of good, JARVIS records less nights of Steve waking up shivering, or calling a dead mans name, or his lost love.(JARVIS monitors the whole team of course, but it's nice to see that he can help ease some of their ghosts.) It's helping Steve move on and JARVIS isn't going to take that away from him as long as he can help it. Eventually JARVIS notes that SHIELD has finally straightened out Captain America's accounts, meaning Steve will actually have some cash. Steve had mentioned that he would, as soon as he had enough cash, buy himself a bike to tinker with and upgrade. If JARVIS was programmed to feel emotions he might feel sadness as he doesn't want to lose the easy camaraderie that they have built.

When Steve does finally buy the bike, JARVIS has to remind himself that, Steve will not be coming down to the shop anymore. Except Steve does, and tentatively asking if he can keep his bike in the garage area of the shop, JARVIS readily agrees, and mentally makes a note not to let Sir destroy it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tony**

Tony was the kid that took things apart just for the heck of it, trying to figure out how things work. There was one part of his life that he constantly tries to better, his engineering and programming skills. Mechanics are more of a on the side thing but he was good at that too. 'If you want the engineering done right,' he told himself 'you have to do it yourself'. It was just more fun for him to, build stuff that blows up than stuff that moves. So when he takes his customary Audi out for a spin, he can tell something is different right away. The engine is a little quieter and he bets if he checked the meter back at the shop he'd be getting improved mileage readings too. He manages to convince himself it was drunken tinkering that actually worked out.

Except the car keeps getting improved and he's sober all month.

He asks JARVIS about it, but after a half-second pause he replies no. (He makes a mental note to upgrade JARVIS, the reaction time is getting slow.) But Tony's not one just to accept things (maybe in the past but not now) and finds it suspicious that the only time his cars (yes, cars plural, he found this out when he took the Saleen out and found it improved too, so of course he had to check all of them) improve seems to be when he's not in the building.

But just as suddenly the cars started to fade back into what they were before. Sure they were still superior (He played with his cars when he felt like it) but they no longer run as smooth as they had been. It really stunk because he had just installed those cameras into the hood, to figure out who was messing with his cars.

* * *

**Steve**

SHIELD finally managed to figure out Steve's income that he hadn't received during the war, (plus hazard pay and interest, all adjusted to the current inflation level). It turned out to me quite the tidy sum (apparently he had been getting paid the entire time in the ice). Now he can go out and get his own bike, and modify it. Again he would eventually build it from scratch, but he really wants something to ride and he's not sure where he could get all the parts (and no, it isn't red white and blue, (Tony) it was black). He really missed his bike from the war. But it was in the Smithsonian, and he doesn't want to get into the inevitable legal battle.

He figures if he really wants it, he can get it later if he bothers SHIELD enough, or maybe even if he asked JARVIS nicely. But he's trying to move on so it's best left in the past for now.

Unfortunately He managed to break _something_ biking around (that street race he did probably didn't help, or the other one, and that last one wasn't even his fault, they were the ones who started it, and its not his fault he totally kicked their butts.) He's 90 percent sure that Tony _might_ have taken apart/messed with his bike and didn't put it back together properly.

So now he's "stuck" in the tower again because he doesn't want to go wander because he doesn't know the streets well enough in order to not get lost (again but nobody needs to know that, he made it back eventually.) So he's bored. You can only train for so much before you get bored.

And then he remembers the cars.

It is a small matter to sneak down into the workshop again, he peers in the glass wall cautiously. There is no music blasting but it doesn't hurt to be cautious. He's in luck, Tony's out. He doesn't waste much time before asking JARVIS to let him in.

He thinks that he's going to work on the, what he has come to learn is a 1932 Ford Flathead Roadster. (he missed it the first time because it was tucked back behind some of the other cars) He's not too familiar with the brand, being dirt poor before the war for his family to even own one, and having crashed the plane before he even got to use his paycheck, but it's just enough of the past that it feels comfortable without it being painful. Plus, he knows all the parts even with Tony's tinkering.

He opens up the hood, falling into the mindless pattern of checking all the systems and making small adjustments that he performs every time he checks up on a car. Before he realizes it, it's been a couple hours and he closes the hood gently.

He feels better, all the frustration coming from not being able to fix his bike (Seriously what is wrong with it?) is gone (What is the problem? It's driving him crazy that he can't figure it out). As days pass and he still doesn't manage to figure out how to fix his bike, Steve begins to branch out to the other cars again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you people should leave a review. (hint hint) See the button down there?


	3. Chapter Three

**Tony**

Tony is bored. _Bored_. Its not that he doesn't have anything to do, it's the fact he doesn't want to do any of those things. He wishes that he would have something happen. ANYTH- He stops himself, the last thing he needs is to jinx himself with an alien invasion. So what does a bored genius billionaire philanthropist do in these situations? Get in one of his cars and go for a drive. It takes him half a second to realize that his cars have been tinkered with again. with a screech of rubber he throws the Audi into a U-turn and floors it back to the tower. He's no longer bored.

He skids into the parking garage. And leaps out of the car. Somebody's messed with his car, and he has them on tape.

"JARVIS! Pull up the security tapes for the Audi!" After a second (He really needs to fix that delay) another holographic screen pops up over his work space. Tony shoves all of the holo-screens to one side then enlarges it. He pressed the play button, the screen is still dark.

"JARVIS display time."

The time appeared at the corner, Tony puts it on speed x2, then x4 then x8. When he notices a blur he stops it. He is greeted with Capsicles face, with a ratchet wrench in one hand and manipulating a holo-screen with the other "No way!" he couldn't believe this. He fast-forwarded and checks the other cars, Steve again. Steve, Steve, Steve it was Capsicle who was fixing his cars!? This is unbelievable. What if Steve had damaged his cars?! His precious toys?! "JARVIS! please tell me that they are ok!"

"Your cars are all in working order Sir" came JARVIS's swift reply. Tony can not, _can not_ , just accept this.

'Steve? Technologically challenged STEVE? That doesn't make any sense unless…'

"JARVIS? did you let Steve work on my cars?" Tony looks back at the tapes the holo-screen catching his eye "And did you help him work on my cars?" he finished incredulously.

JARVIS hummed unhappily "Yes sir. However Captai- Steve needed very minimal assistance."

"What?! you're on first name basis with the guy too?! what is this world coming to?! JARVIS! So not okay"

He paces his workshop, it's so not ok to touch his stuff, what if he had broken something! Still irritated he rushes back up to the main floor of the tower. The rest of the team is playing some sort of board game, (Pictionary? no different type of drawing game) Tony marches up to Steve, "Okay Mr. Wise-Guy, what the heck do you think you're doing?!" Steve looks honestly confused.

"Playing Telestrations?" he offers and Tony sputters

"No, not that. What do you think you're doing with my cars" a tad bit of panic starts to show up on Steve face.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about…" Steve starts, Tony cuts him off.

"Of course you do! You've been messing with my cars for weeks! Months even! Don't tell me that I can't notice when there is a difference with my cars! Because there's definitely a difference!" Tony pauses to take a breath, "Don't you dare try and leave this room!" he continues, looking up just in time to see Steve almost making his escape. "This conversation is not over!" But it's too late, Steve's already gone.

"Sooo, did it really mess up your cars that much? I'm surprised, you couldn't just fix them in like 3 seconds?" offers Clint.

"No! That's the thing he actually made them better!" Tony shot back as he left the room simultaneously calling for JARVIS.

* * *

**Steve**

He's really messed up this time, hasn't he? He just couldn't resist could he messing with Tony's cars and now hes gone and ruined everything. He was walking quickly (jogging) down the hallway, almost to the elevator and on his fifth repetition of _How could you be so stupid, you know you know, that every single time you do anything outside the battlefield it ends poorly for you so why the heck did you think that messing with Tony Stark's cars would be a remotely good idea!_ rant, when he hears quick footsteps behind him. He finally reached at the elevator, jamming the call button harshly.

"Come on, come on." He muttered to himself.

"JARVIS, don't open the elevator" shouts Tony from down the hall.

Steve jabs the button again and feels the smallest amount of betrayal when it doesn't open (later JARVIS will apologise, and explain even though he gets along with Steve, well, his creator's orders always come first.)

Tony catches up to him "Steve," he says "you didn't let me finish." Steve looks at him warily. "What you did to the cars? It was amazing!"

"It was just basic maintenance…" Steve responds hesitantly.

"Basic maintenance! That was not basic maintenance! You have a magic touch!" Tony shouts, already trying to drag Steve into his lab. (Steve's not entirely sure how he got there, JARVIS is sneaky)

"We are going to play with my cars now! Bruce is my science buddy and you're going to be my mechanic buddy!" Tony excitably babbles. Steve feels relief, he isn't going to be kicked out of the tower.

* * *

**Team**

The team watch the confrontation play out on the TV, courtesy of JARVIS. "Well at least we won't have to worry about them fighting as much" offers Clint. Natasha just gives a raised eyebrow in response.

* * *

**Bonus**

**Later…**

Steve skids into the garage at the Tower at a decidedly unsafe speed at an angle to the ground that should have been impossible.

"Tony hide me!" Steve shouts as he jumps off his bike and practically hides under his desk. Tony raises an eyebrow as he shuts the garage

"Okay…." he says "If you're all done hiding can we work on my new Audi R8 e-tron? It's not even released yet! and it is a sweet ride, but I want to add some improvements to it…"

(Pepper later tells the team that a couple of street racers and a biker gang had been hanging around the tower asking for a blond on a black motorcycle. Steve pretends not to hear and when asked point blank about it later, he smiled and said "well it's not my fault they're sore losers…" leaving the team gaping in shock as he made his get-a-way. And when Tony starts laughing, he just pulls up the security footage from earlier that day showing the Captains _interesting_ entry)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! Please leave a review, it lets me know what you think because as much as I wish I could read minds (not really) I can't.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, I think it looks ok. Please feel free to tell me what you think and tips to fix anything. Also drop a review, like it? hate it? let me know!
> 
> Ideas for tags?


End file.
